What should I do if a member dies?
Please telephone your normal contact at TPT Retirement Solutions as soon as you find out that a member has died. We will then talk you through what to do next.
For members who were in your employment when they died, we will need you to:
- Send the original death certificate (or a certified copy) to us as soon as it is available. It is not possible to pay any benefits until the death certificate has been received.
- Inform us if you are aware of any of the member's personal circumstances which may help us to determine the beneficiaries of any death benefit.
- For actively contributing members, we will need you to confirm when the member’s final contribution will be paid. When you submit the final contribution on our eBusiness system, you should also complete the Date of Leaving column. However, please don’t provide this until you have informed us of the member’s death. For Defined Benefit members we will also request that you complete and send a withdrawal form.
For members who have left your employment, we will request the contact details of the person who informed you of the member’s death. This will allow us to request the original death certificate (or a certified copy).
Once we receive the death certificate we will:
- Calculate the benefits payable. This will differ depending upon the scheme that your employee was a member of and also whether you provide life cover.
- Determine the beneficiaries for payment. The benefit is payable at the discretion of the Trustee and, as a result, under current legislation is excluded from a member's estate for Inheritance Tax purposes. The Trustee will consider any nomination(s) held on record along with any further information obtained regarding the member's personal circumstances.
- For pensioners we will stop any further payments. If the member has purchased an annuity, any benefits payable would be settled directly by their annuity provider. In this circumstance, if a retired member's family contact you they should be advised to contact the annuity provider directly. If they do not have the relevant details we will be able to advise them who the annuity provider is.